Caltech Micromachining Laboratory
Development of Surface Micromachinable Capacitive
Accelerometer using Fringe Electrical Field
Project Abstract
This paper demonstrates a new type accelerometer, which consists of a dielectric seismic mass and
comb-shaped planar capacitor underneath it. The simple structure of the device allows using polymer
Parylene as the proof mass, so the technology is greatly simplified and only surface micromachining
is required. Measuring principle is detecting capacitance change according to the dielectric mass
movement in the fringe electrical field. This principle is verified by FEM simulation. Prototype
accelerometers are fabricated and calibrated with the aid of off-chip capacitive readout IC.
References
S. Ayogi and Y.C. Tai,"Development of Surface Micromachinable Capacitive Accelerometer Using Fringe Electrical Field," Technical Digest, The 12th
International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers '03), Boston, USA, pp. 1383-1386 (2003).
Involved Personnel
Seiji Aoyagi and Yu-Chong Tai